From the Bristol Evening Post
Weston MP John Penrose has slammed Network Rail after announcing promised track improvements in the area are being cancelled.
Improvements were planned at Worle Junction and at Weston Milton, which would see the track doubled to allow increased service frequency.
In addition the bay platform at Weston-super-Mare station would have been reinstated.
However, Mr Penrose says Network Rail has abandoned all these plans and says the firm has been taking residents for a ride.
Network Rail revealed the schemes would not progress in the draft 'Great Western Route Utilisation Strategy'.
It sets out plans for the Great Western mainline until 2030 and shows the rail company has abandoned the Weston improvements.
The company argues that service in the Weston area has already improved and so it cannot justify spending ú10 million on the work.
Mr Penrose claims that a recent meeting with Network Rail chiefs promised that the work would begin by 2014.
In the report, Network Rail deemed the changes for Weston as being "poor value for money".
In the report Iain Coucher, Network Rail chief executive, said: "This option (Bristol Temple Meads to Weston-super-Mare corridor) provides an additional hourly service calling at all stations on the route between Weston and Bristol Temple Meads.
"The option would require substantial infrastructure works with the redoubling of Worle junction, redoubling of the single line track from Worle to Weston Milton and the reinstatement of the bay platform at Weston station.
"The option would also require additional rolling stock to operate the new services.
"Initial economic modelling indicated that greater benefits could be achieved by extending the services to Bristol Parkway and this was included in the analysis."
Mr Penrose said: "This is yet again another broken promise from Network Rail.
"First they promised the improvements would be made by summer this year, then by 2014, and now they have dropped them altogether.
"I will be meeting with Network Rail chiefs as soon as possible and will be demanding to know why they have broken their promise to Weston and why they think we no longer deserve these improvements."
A Network Rail spokesman said: "Performance on the line which runs through Weston-super-Mare had been running at under 80 per cent of trains arriving on time.
"Over the past couple of years performance has reached over 90 per cent on the route and this means that the business case for the doubling of the route no longer exists."